Tailor Pomatomus saltatrix

Eastern Australian biological stock 

Tailor is commonly fished throughout its distribution along the east coast of Australia. Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria each assess that part of the biological stock that occurs in their waters. The status presented here for the entire biological stock has been established using evidence from all three jurisdictions.

Tailor has a long history as a key fishery species for Indigenous, commercial and recreational fishers. Since the 1970s, the eastern Australian biological stock of Tailor has predominantly been targeted by the recreational fishery⁸. The most recent stock assessment^8,9 indicated that the total recreational and commercial harvest of Tailor from Queensland and New South Wales peaked in the mid-1970s and again in the mid-1990s. These peaks coincided with periods of high recruitment to the fishery, when favourable environmental factors allowed larger numbers of young Tailor to thrive ⁸. Since 2001, recruitment has been considered to be below average⁸. When assessed in 2008, the combined Queensland and New South Wales component of the stock was above 50 per cent of virgin biomass, and the total harvest was below the estimated maximum sustainable yield (MSY) of 1326 tonnes (t)^8,10. Since 2008, the commercial (Queensland and New South Wales) and recreational (Queensland) harvest of Tailor has decreased ^10,11, suggesting that the total harvest has remained below MSY.

In Queensland, commercial landings and catch rates have decreased since 2010, reaching historically low levels in 2013. The decline reflects particularly low harvest from beach-seine netting following changes in management arrangements that have resulted in reduced nominal effort¹⁰. Fishery-dependent monitoring of length and age indicates a stable size composition of fish, and shows that older fish (4–7-year-olds) are present in the harvest. These are positive indicators of a stable population with continued recruitment. Fishery-dependent monitoring between 1999 and 2013 found no fish approaching the species’ maximum age of 13¹⁰. On the whole, the data indicate that the biomass of the Queensland part of the stock is unlikely to be recruitment overfished.

In Queensland, management measures progressively introduced since 2002 have been effective in lowering fishing pressure¹⁰. Nominal effort in the commercial fishery in 2013 is the lowest in 5 years¹⁰. Recreational harvest estimates in 2011 were around one-third of the estimate in 2001, and there has been a reduction in the participation rate by recreational fishers in areas where Tailor are most commonly caught¹¹. The minimum legal size (35 cm total length) is set above the size at maturity¹², which reduces fishing pressure on the spawning stock and ensures that mature fish can spawn at least once. A seasonal closure also provides some protection of fish during the spawning period. Fishery-dependent age-frequency information shows evidence of continued recruitment, with 2–5-year-olds dominating the harvest¹⁰. Estimates of the total mortality rate from 2007 to 2013 are high, but are considered to be within an acceptable range for this species¹⁰. The data indicate that the current level of fishing pressure is unlikely to cause the Queensland component of the stock to become recruitment overfished.

In New South Wales, the length composition in commercial landings has remained consistent, typically ranging between 30 and 45 cm fork length. Nominal commercial catch rates (kilograms per day of line fishing) have increased steadily since the late 1990s. This evidence indicates that the biomass of the New South Wales part of the stock is unlikely to be recruitment overfished.

In New South Wales, the minimum legal size (30 cm total length) corresponds to the size at maturity. The recreational fishery is subject to the minimum legal length and a possession limit of 20 fish per person, which may do little to constrain harvest in this fishery sector. No recent estimate of the recreational harvest in New South Wales is available; historically, it has been substantially greater than the commercial harvest^8,13. Therefore, fishing pressure from the recreational sector could be high. Fishing pressure is considered adequately controlled in the commercial fishery through restrictive daily trip limits of 100 kg per day (ocean haul nets) or 50 kg per day (other netting methods). As a result, commercial landings have been relatively stable since the early 2000s. On the whole, the evidence indicates that the current level of fishing pressure is unlikely to cause the New South Wales component of the stock to become recruitment overfished.

In Victoria, most of the commercial catch of Tailor since 2007 has come from the Gippsland Lakes¹⁴. The most recent assessment¹⁵ for Tailor in the Gippsland Lakes used the commercial mesh-net catch rate (kg/km-lift) as an indicator. Despite a decrease in the 5-year moving average (11.06 kg/km-lift), the indicator in 2010 was above the long-term average (based on a 32-year time series of data), indicating that there was no evidence of a long-term decline. This indicates that the biomass of the Victorian part of the stock is unlikely to be recruitment overfished.

In Victoria, the minimum legal size (23 cm total length) is below the size at maturity. The recreational fishery is subject to the minimum legal length and a bag/possession limit of 20 fish per person. Although there is no recent estimate of the recreational harvest of Tailor in Victoria, historically it was much less than in Queensland and New South Wales^10,16. Commercial landings show minor fluctuations since the early 2000s¹⁰, and the total catch in 2013 of 39.6 t was the second highest in 10 years. This indicates that fishing pressure is unlikely to cause the Victorian component of the stock to become recruitment overfished.

On the basis of the evidence provided above, the entire biological stock is classified as a sustainable stock.  

Western Australian biological stock 

The western Australian biological stock is accessed by one jurisdiction, Western Australia. Similar to the east coast, Tailor is predominantly a recreational species in Western Australia, with approximately 85 per cent taken by shore-based fishers^4,17. In the 1990s, there was a marked decline in size and numbers of Tailor caught along the west coast. Since then, management measures have been introduced⁴. The most recent stock assessment⁴ (2013) for the western Australian biological stock of Tailor used a weight-of-evidence approach. The assessment indicated that the stock had a low inherent vulnerability, and catch rates suggested that the current spawning stock abundance is high⁴. Annual recruitment by juvenile Tailor has been monitored in the Perth metropolitan area since 1996, and results suggest increasing recruitment since 2006. Increasing recreational catch rates of adult Tailor throughout the West Coast Bioregion in recent years are consistent with higher recruitment across the entire biological stock. Since 2001, the annual harvest and catch rates of Tailor in the main commercial fisheries (Shark Bay Beach Seine and Mesh Net Managed Fishery, and West Coast Estuarine [Interim] Managed Fishery) have been stable (combined 24–35 t) and are considered adequate, even though the Shark Bay Beach Seine and Mesh Net Managed Fishery catch is below the historical range as a result of local processing restrictions^4,18.The above evidence indicates that the biomass of the stock is unlikely to be recruitment overfished.

Management changes implemented in Western Australia between 1990 and 2009 (bag and size limits) have been effective in reducing the retained recreational harvest of Tailor. Although the current minimum legal size (30 cm total length) is just below the size at maturity, the maximum size possession limit (only two fish over 50 cm total length in the West Coast Bioregion) ensures protection for the breeding stock, and no additional management actions are expected to be implemented. The most recent stock assessment estimated a moderately high rate of natural mortality. However, the biological characteristics of fast growth rate and early maturity imply a low vulnerability of the stock to exploitation⁴. The above evidence indicates that the current level of fishing pressure is unlikely to cause the stock to become recruitment overfished.

On the basis of the evidence provided above, the biological stock is classified as a sustainable stock.